Document Type
Report
Publication Date
2011
Department
Library
Abstract
The early 21st century is a tumultuous time to be a librarian. We celebrate the "Information Age" and revel in the amount of information available to readers and learners. Yet the historical development of libraries was based on a model of scarcity. Texts were rare, sometimes delicate, and needed to be preserved and organized to be of value. For thousands of years, librarians concentrated on the physical preservation of materials, and in helping readers to gain access to elusive information. Librarians now work to help people cope with information overload. We worry that students are losing the ability to engage meaningfully with text. And we are constantly thinking about what happens next.
Are we still relevant? How do we demonstrate our relevance? What new technology is coming that we will, from desire or necessity, need to learn about and adapt our practices to accommodate? How, in the midst of answering these questions, do we stay in touch with the fundamental values of librarianship: service to knowledge and learning and preservation of information, knowledge and culture?
During my sabbatical I took the opportunity to read, reflect, and engage in new experiences related to these questions. I traveled to great libraries of the western world--some functioning libraries still, some only tumbles of stone. I took the time to think about how people have engaged with information in its many manifestations for thousands of years, and how that will continue.
Rights
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Dossett, Raeann, "Sabbatical Report" (2011). Sabbaticals. 6.
https://spark.parkland.edu/sabbaticals/6
